Christopher Cope jury can't decide on sentence

9:56 AM,
Nov. 2, 2012

Christopher Cope awaits sentencing.

Written by

Michael Doughty

Judge Mike Pitman asked the Caddo Parish jury to sleep on it Thursday night, after it returned twice with an inability to find a unanimous verdict in the sentencing phase of the trial of Christopher Cope, the man convicted of killing a Shreveport police officer in 2010.

The jury of 10 women and two men was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether Cope would face the death penalty or life in prison for the killing of Sgt. Timothy Prunty outside of a southwest Shreveport convenience store Oct. 24, 2010.

On Wednesday, the same jury found Cope guilty of murdering Prunty, who was checking in with ...